Potential merits of Government support for small abattoirs

An abattoir, or slaughterhouse, is an establishment where animals are slaughtered to produce meat for human consumption. There is no formal definition of a small abattoir. The size of an abattoir is usually measured by how many livestock units (LSU) it processes. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Animal Welfare’s 2020 report on The Future for Small Abattoirs in the UK (PDF) defined a smaller abattoir as having a throughput of less than 5,000 LSU per year. An LSU may be equivalent to more than one animal. For example, one LSU could be 1 adult bovine (cattle) animal or it could be two bovine animals under 8 months.

The number of smaller abattoirs has declined. Defra said in 2023 that “over the last four years (2018-22) smaller red meat abattoirs have declined by around 25% and smaller poultry abattoirs have declined by around 40%”. This decline was attributed to rising operating costs.

A blog from Defra on Introducing the Smaller Abattoir Fund (December 2023) explained that smaller abattoirs are “vital to farmers getting their products to market”, and “offer a higher value route to market for native and rare breeds, particularly horned animals which many large abattoirs are generally unable or unwilling to process”. Defra also said that they “also support higher standards of animal welfare by helping to maintain reduced journey times to slaughter, ensuring that animals do not need to be transported over longer distances, which can create welfare issues, as well as taking up farmers’ limited time”.

In December 2023, the government announced the creation of a £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund (SAF). The SAF offered grants to smaller abattoirs in England of between £2,000 and £60,000 at an 40% intervention rate. The 40% intervention rate meant, for example, that an abattoir applying for an ‘eligible item’ costing £10,000 would receive £4,000 in capital grant funding and would therefore need to make up the other £6,000.

In May 2024, Defra increased the support available through the SAF, in recognition of “the cash flow challenges that many smaller abattoirs face”. The maximum grant amount was increased from £60,000 to £75,000 and the intervention rate was increased from 40% to 50%. The application window for the SAF closed in September 2024.

On 14 May 2024, Rishi Sunak, then Prime Minister, announced a new £3 million fund for “new and mobile abattoirs” at the Farm to Fork summit. To date, no further details have been announced.

Amongst the challenges faced by small abattoirs, there have been recent concerns about shortages of vets to perform the role of Official Veterinarian (OV) at abattoirs. Abattoirs are also charged by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for OVs and meat inspectors, and charges have recently increased. Stakeholders have noted that the uplift in charges for the 2025/26 financial year would place further pressure upon small and medium-sized abattoirs struggling with rising costs and regulatory burdens.